Sunday, November 26, 2006

Iraq: A Picture--Worth a Thousand Words

I was struck by this picture on the front page of the "Week in Review" section of today's New York Times, Bush. Such bright eyes, this young insurgent has, with his rocket launcher at the ready, and his Koran (bottom right). So very sad. I was searching for the anger there, the defiance, the revolt... and I found only a deep well of sadness. A despair. I suppose others would project other feelings into those dark eyes, with the rest of the face masked. But I saw only sadness. I found myself wondering how old he is, what else he might be doing with his life? What his father or mother might be thinking, feeling? Pride, fear, anger? How many brothers and sisters he might have? How long he might have to live? How many of his own people he might have killed, or be called upon to kill in the coming days, weeks, years? How many of ours? What do you think, Bush?

I wonder how many of them also have PTSD. They are also human beings, no different from us. They have to be going through some of the same things. Some only carry the Quran, as they don't believe they should read it, for fear of getting what they read wrong, but want others to know they are Muslim. There are others who read it faithfully, as many words of it as they are able to during the day, keeps their minds off what they are doing and on Allah. I see nothing wrong in that. Do our troops carry a bible out to battle? Don't see any of it... What are the families feeling? Well, I would imagine pretty much what ours do, a mixture of pride, fear, and anger. No, I'm not standing with an arm around a terrorist, I'm just saying some feel the same about us as some do about them... They are human beings who don't belong in that situation, any more than we do... We all have the same God, yet we gotta fight and argue... I would just love to see the heavens open up, a big booming voice come out of it, and scare the bejeezus out of everyone... but that was my timer, dinner is ready, gotta go:). Have a nice evening Peter...

I like this empathy instead of hate and fear propaganda. Never hear it much. Not only are their soldiers having PTSD but whole sections of Iraq, from babies to grandmothers will suffer lifelong from PTSD with nightmares of very aggressive USA bomb laden jets and Apache attack helicopters to foreign invaders pointing guns at them and speaking a foreign language bursting into their homes and street. To hearing machine gun fire and listening to see if it’s getting closer. Worrying about their family being killed, to being occupied for 3 years by the most powerful and violent military in the worlds history thus far. Not to mention the new domestic criminal activity.Just remember that for every Iraqi who is killed there are 2-3 who are most likely seriously injured.

This human defender of land and limb most likely has a picture of his wife and children or if very young a picture of his parents and siblings in a leather billfold.

I see a depth of historical pride, intelligence, playfulness, patriotism, honor and health in his eyes. I see a good brother and son who has a crush on a girl in his neighborhood. I see a man who dreams of liberating his land and home from a foreign invader that has killed many of his fellow citizens or maybe even his family members. I see a man who dreams with his fellow brave comrades of life without the foreign invader and marriage and children, maybe a son who calls him Dad one day. I hope to see a man who will destroy the foreign invader and live to see his children grow up from infancy to adulthood in a home safe from invasion. I see a man fighting for his future and defending his family and children against evil/criminal invaders.

I also see a slight smile that seems to reveal his youthfulness because he is in front of a camera for which he is used to/ conditioned to smiling in front of only for family pictures.

Everyone who can should visit this web site to help the developing world with business loans & economic development. Small small loans that make a big difference.

http://www.kiva.org/

Amazing idea and one that works. Saw this on some excellent PBS show. You can directly help and experience business success with other humans around the world in need. This is not for the greedy to make money but to make a business loan "donation"(sorry you cannot kill borrower or his family if not paid back in full or kick them into the street) that has a very high chance of being returned; >95%.

These are similar types of loans that billionaire guy arranges in "Third World" areas, forget his name. A young couple from San Francisco started this one. Very neat couple.

Sorry Carly, sounds like you have little experience or maybe have simply never served, known, loved or respected a human who served in the military. The military is not the one who sends men to foreign lands to commit evil atrocities of invasion and occupation, that order is solely reserved for the blood thirsty civilians in America who elect and determine their nation’s foreign policy.

I will agree with you that all USA civilians and military personnel who supported this criminal invasion of Iraq should be rounded up and jailed for crimes against humanity. I don’t care if one now disagrees with the war they supported, let them think about their hate and murderous support while they sit in jail. I also believe USA should be removed from the United Nations Security Council for an indeterminate length of time.

Furthermore, the American military has been one of the historical leaders in bringing American humans together domestically from Blacks, Latinos, women ect.. Only when humans shit, shower, shave, cry, love, masturbate, eat or live together do they understand the commonality of each other. The military is what enabled Blacks, Latinos, women ect… to enter the workforce and live amongst each other after their shared service. Gays will soon be accepted into the military and then the rest of society will accept them. Because it is military men who will stand up for their minority comrades in the civilian world; the ones they sweated, bleed, trained with and would have given their life/limb to save. Most civilians never experience the bond that develops among fellow humans who do not share your familial, racial, religious beliefs yet would lay down their life to protect. Most American civilians have little experience with sharing their lives with those outside of friends, family or marriage. The military is almost similar to socialism whereby all are fed, housed, provided healthcare, same pay for same rank of service ect.. They also care about each other and work as one for the betterment of all. They do not strive for the greed associated with Capitalism, rather the brotherhood of shared service.

Imagine a KKK boy who lived in Arkansas, joined the Marines Corps and after boot camp would do anything he could, even give his own life, for the Dark Green Marine (black) laying next to him. That is something to celebrate.

By the way Carly, YOU directly support this war in Iraq with YOUR monies/taxes that are used to commit this atrocity, as it could not happen without that support. You can be against this war but you must have the integrity and braveness to back up your words/morals and accept the consequences of your actions if you decide to stop giving money to buy bombs. YOU, are no different then the people who give monies to Bin Laden, Bush or Hitler which was used to finance their criminal military actions. Do not try to duck out of your responsibility and blame an entire profession of military men you pay and supply. That is moral/ethical hypocrisy.

About Me

I started my other blog, The Buddha Diaries, nearly 10 years ago. A long-standing member of The ManKind Project, I have a special interest in how men experience the world and how they can contribute to the well-being of our species. My current commitment as a writer is to a collection of the kind of "boyhood memories" you find here, which I plan to publish eventually as a book.